Our final workshop in a series of Living Histories, Storied Places workshops in different communities throughout the area is coming back home to the EGPS studio, 240 St George Str, Annapolis Royal on Dec. 13, 1-4pm. We have been warmly welcomed into public spaces from Lawrencetown, Middleton, Bridgetown, Annapolis Royal and Bear River over the past five months. It has been such an honour to connect and learn with so many people through the art of printmaking.

Our final event is a workshop and celebration of the joy of sharing in an afternoon of printing snowflakes, using the letterpress and stamping with plasticine. This is also a good time to just hang out with members, ask questions about printmaking projects you are working on, where to begin your printmaking journey or how to become involved with Elephant Grass Printers in 2026. Join us for relaxed companionship over goodies and printing. There are always goodies at our Open Houses!

The workshop and Open House is free, all materials supplied and no registration required. Drop in throughout the afternoon or come for the entire time. Many do.

Our series of free community workshops, Living Histories, Storied Places, have been possible with an Artists in Community grant from Arts Nova Scotia.

The Alchemy of the Artist’s Book with Basma Kavanagh, Nov 29&30

In essence, the artist’s book is a sculpture. Often kinetic and interactive, artists’ books are energized by the interplay of form and content. Their infinite variety can not only revitalize and expand our perception of “books” generally, it can also transform our understanding of the basic codex—stacked sheets bound on one side—revealing a surprising, sculptural object hidden in plain sight.

How does one combine diverse materials, ideas, images, words, and structural possibilities into an organic, cohesive whole? In this intensive weekend workshop, we will explore some of the many possible forms an artist book can take, learning to let our materials and intuition guide this mysterious—and satisfying— process. Through discussion, learning a few basic book forms, creating models and quick one-of-a-kind projects, planning editioned work, and dabbling in letterpress and relief printmaking, participants will leave this workshop with many options for continuing to explore artist’s books on their own or in future workshops.

10am-4pm, Saturday and Sunday November 29 &30 (12 hours total)

Elephant Grass Printmakers, 240 St. George St. (2nd Floor), Annapolis Royal

Cost: $200 for EGPS members, $220 for non-members

Materials available for purchase. Max. 8 participants

For more information, or to register, contact elephantgrassprint@gmail.com

Basma is a Lebanese Canadian artist whose multidisciplinary practice includes writing, drawing, printmaking, artist’s books, textiles, land-based explorations, and performance. She has taught and practiced book arts in various hinterlands since 2010. Basma has been an artist in residence at the Penland School of Craft, the Banff Centre, and the Minnesota Center for Book Arts. Her work has been supported by grants from the Canada Council for the Arts, Arts Nova Scotia, and the Manitoba Arts Council. She lives and works in Nova Scotia, within Mi’kma’ki.